NEGATIVE FEEDBACK FROM AGENCIES

If you were employed as a cover supervisor then you shouldn't be doing any teaching you were there to supervise. I would stand firm on this and tell the Agency if they want to send a teacher then they need to pay the rate for a teacher. As for being critcised for reading the text book required for the lesson it sounds to me that they were being very desparate to find something to complain about.

2012midas said:

. What worries me is that the people representing our interests do not have the wit or experience to be critical of the what seems to be no more than Chinese whispers. And yet I was treated harshly and lost work as a result.

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This particluar agency comes across as a particularly stupid bunch of "numpties" and I would tell them politely to "sling their hook". There are some good agencies out there I have found "Teaching Personnel" to be always good for me, although I accept the service you get might depend on your particular region and consultant.
I know that you cannot name bad agencies, which is a pity because Supply Teachers/CSs would like to know which ones are a waste of space.

f you were employed as a cover supervisor then you shouldn't be doing any teaching

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That's the theory ...

... unfortunately it is increasingly common for schools to ask for "subject specialist cover supervisors" who can teach, and teach is what they expect you to do. The day of the wordsearch and dull worksheet is gone in many schools. You're left a lesson and as a "subject specialist cover supervisor," you are expected to be able to teach it.
AS one of my consultants pointed out, "It's not as if it's a difficult job, is it."

I would look for another agency, try to account for your work history without mentioning this experience.
On the feedback side, always be careful if a TA is about, they may be helpful but they may be in a bad mood.
Always have low expectations of what the school provides workwise. Do not spend to much time over analysing what the teacher has left, there is rarely enough time. Although I really try to understand and deliver what they want, sometimes it can be sketchy and unthoughtful to say the least..

....quite frankly, I too would them to sling there hook.
...cheeky sods. I mean whats wrong with people. If you are being paid CS, then all you do is supervise...THATS IT!!!!!
...yes, its true they will expect you to teach, but for &pound;40 - &pound;60 a day...YOU MUST BE JOKING
...yes, its true that schools are seeking subject specialist CS/TAs but this is another way around paying for a normal teacher on the cheap.
...and, as for naming/shaming bad agencies, well Ive done it and TBH I couldnt give a monkeys left testicle what they think. If its OK to negatively feedback (assuming its not deserved) a supply then its OK by me to spill the beans on the knobs purporting to be professional agencies...
...have a look at the other thread recently posted https://community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/535336.aspx
If bad or unprofesional agencies cant be exposed then I for one would rather inform others than run under the radar. HAVE SOME BALLS

A subject specialist CS.Either you are a subject specialist TEACHER or someone who is a CS and covers a lesson. What does a subject specialist CS do or not do that deserves &pound;100 less pay a day than a subject specialist TEACHER?

A subject specialist CS.Either you are a subject specialist TEACHER or someone who is a CS and covers a lesson. What does a subject specialist CS do or not do that deserves &pound;100 less pay a day than a subject specialist TEACHER?

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Yep...another way for schools/agencies to take advantage and exploit the current state of affairs I'm afraid.
...thats why I named/shamed the agencies who I felt were totally useless
...and, thats why I feel kids are getting a raw deal and the fortunes spent on getting teachers trained up is bordering on a national scandal

Fully qualified, registered and highly experienced teachers should DEMAND TO BE EMPLOYED EXACTLY AS STATED AND PAID AS A FULLY QUALIFIED TEACHER!
All this nonsense of the "cover supervisor role": a fake role, fake and totally untenable!
If we all said NO, NO,NO to this CS nonsense, dimwit/halfwit "consultants" in malign, manipulative agencies run by disrespectful psychopaths will get the message loudly and CLEARLY! I had to say no some 5 times to a "desperate" agency call centre operative and persuaded him to resign because of his loss of integrity! Wonderful...........we must be ultra-strong to resist all this bullying nonsense of taking on the fake role of the CS.

robyn147 said:

A subject specialist CS.Either you are a subject specialist TEACHER or someone who is a CS and covers a lesson. What does a subject specialist CS do or not do that deserves &pound;100 less pay a day than a subject specialist TEACHER?

I am sorry to hear about your experiences of 'negative feedback, Midas. Please do not take them to heart as, I suspect, there are alterior motives behind this. If the school and/or the agency be really concerned, would they not have told you right away, rather then months later? I would not be surprised if the school is using 'complaints', either to getting out of paying the agency for your services entirely, or obtaining them at a reduced rate. I could also imagine that the agency is using these 'complaints' to 'suspend' you, so that it can use it as an excuse to offer you even lower rates of pay or, as has happened to others who have posted here, being offered unpaid work to 're-establish' your reputation.
Afterall, these 'complaints' are rather generic. Claiming that you did not 'teach' enough when you were employed as a CS would suggest that the school cannot remember who you are.

A few years ago, I got talking to an New Zealand supply teacher, who was covering in the science department for week or so. He told me what struck me then as a tale of almost unimaginable duplicity, although now it sounds almost commonplace.
He said that had done a couple of weeks supply work in a middle school, which he found to be a very pleasant assignment. Later, though, he was staggered to find that he had not been paid for this work. When he queried this with his agency, he was told that this was because he had not turned up at the school. He said that he had contacted the school, which confirmed to him that his time sheet had been forward to the agency. Significantly, the school also told him that this was not the first time that this had happened to supply teachers, working through this agency. Then, he said, the 'penny dropped', as normally agencies were on the phone to him if he was a couple of minutes late at a school, so hearing nothing from them was very suspicious. I do not know whether the poor chap got matters sorted out to his satisfaction, as they had not been resolved when I spoke to him.

Simple solution to this...if you are a teacher DON'T work as a cover supervisor!
I used to earn 50 quid a day on piece work sat on a machine with headphones blasting and not WORRY IN THE WORLD back in the day... I'm not going to be in charge of other peoples kids for that price! FTS.... as they say!

I agree with many people that I would have pointed out that a CS is not meant to be teaching and if they wanted some to teach they should have used a supply teacher. On the issue about being to be arrogant to staff (I apologise if I have got the wrong end of the stick), but many staffs especially TA's who are wannabe teachers and believe that they should be teaching the classes, even when the regular teacher is present, so is may explain this issue or the truth is, you were better then the permanent staff, we all get negative feedback at some stage.
What was a shock, was the fact that you got &pound;40 for the day (if I read it right), even people working as a TA on supply, you should be looking at &pound;50 for the day and the agencies usually advertised CS roles at &pound;65 for the day, the agency must be as tight as a camel's backside in a sandstorm.

Guest

pedigree said:

Fully qualified, registered and highly experienced teachers should DEMAND TO BE EMPLOYED EXACTLY AS STATED AND PAID AS A FULLY QUALIFIED TEACHER!
All this nonsense of the "cover supervisor role": a fake role, fake and totally untenable!
If we all said NO, NO,NO to this CS nonsense, dimwit/halfwit "consultants" in malign, manipulative agencies run by disrespectful psychopaths will get the message loudly and CLEARLY! I had to say no some 5 times to a "desperate" agency call centre operative and persuaded him to resign because of his loss of integrity! Wonderful...........we must be ultra-strong to resist all this bullying nonsense of taking on the fake role of the CS.

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A lot of these problems with agencies would not
exist if schools stopped using untrained people to teach students.
Here
is a very good petition against this happening. Everyone on supply or
unemployed should sign this petition to protect what is left of the
profession. It is anonymous so no need to worry about your school,
agency etc finding out that you signed it. Not that it should make any
difference. After all, we are supposed to be living in a democracy .http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/40106